jag stannar alltid kvar

dis is the look

“ summer’s nice until it’s scorching hot, and i’m pretty sure i’m three sunburns away from a melanoma. ” she pursed her lips briefly. “ ooooh. the nightlife will be superb. i can’t wait for the weekend ! ” 

“ well, i mean, if you’re worried about mercury, have you considered not eating fish ? ”

“ we just survived argentinian summer and now we have to survive a japanese one ? life’s full of challenges, huh ? what are you most excited for ? “

“ so did i ! fuck– what fuck... when did you see him ? was it a long time ago ? ” viveka looked behind her at the empty path and wished the boy would simply materialize in front of her.

“ it’s just sunscreen, ” viveka assured the girl with a wave of her hand and a sheepish smile on her face. “ you’ll thank yourself tomorrow. a year or so ago i took a holiday to morocco and... oh man, it was brutal. the first day there i forgot to wear sunscreen and turned into a tomato. the skin started peeling at the end of the week. it took a fuck ton of editing to make the skin look ok in the holiday pics. ” she fixed her ponytail and swept a bead of sweat off her forehead. “ anything vegan, and i’m satisfied. it’ll be better than what i can make. i just brought a can of pumpkin soup and carrots. i don’t cook ! ” 

“ i’ll be around, yes. family first, you know ? ” that he could understand. it was the kind of thinking the two of them shared. the only thing they shared, probably. “ which ‘gal pal’ would that be ? ” viveka asked through gritted teeth. she didn’t quite understand how ilona could ev— “ oh. gaia. ” now she just felt embarrassed and bothered. he had managed to bring out special kind of irritation that had no place in their current conversation. “ you sure ? you’d be the first man to see that. for a good deal i’d beg.” stories about crazy deals that made no sense existed. there was an abundance of them ! it didn’t hurt to try. her sense of dignity wasn’t all that valuable. “ i have quick reflexes though. it levels the playfield. ” she made a move to exhibit her small bicep. “ just remember that diplomacy is always a good option, and we’re not unreasonable. if you ever feel like making an u-turn. ” if someone managed to force him into making it. alessandro wasn’t a lost cause, was he ?

“ you weren’t born yesterday, don’t tell me you’ve never met that part of our world. ” a laugh slipped past viveka’s lips and she nodded thoughtfully a few times. “ i can’t come up with anything bad to say about the beach though ! ”

“ i mean sure but not too many. and at the end of the day, they’re just people. i’d be more scared by the people who get fussy about... i don’t know, everything. they can be so draining ! there’s a spa ! i haven’t been to it though. the weather’s been too good honestly. but i don’t know how much time i want to spend there: imagine being there bare faced and you run into mimi. how will you survive that ? ”

“ casualties ? what you’ll murder people by chitchatting ? by being lively ? ” 

“ i made an assumption. haven’t you been betrothed for like... a year or something. ” she hesitated for a fraction of a second before contradicting her first statement. “ i mean, he’s yours to fuck, might as well see what the fuss is about, no ? i would have liked a review — especially if it had been anything less than three stars. i’m just curious. but honestly, lily, is it your sister that put you up to this or why are you still looking at that guy’s face ? ”

“ oh c’mon, you could at least wear it like a badge ! if you want to be in the play, you have to accept the role too. ” she almost surprised herself with the lightness of her tone. she had expected more bitterness to drip into her voice. “ i think it’ll be too hardcore for me... and besides, i only do arm workouts. you know we hippies only need to be able to hold our signs high above our heads. ” when was the last time viveka had been part of a demonstration ? it had been years. but if the statement aligned with her image, she might as well say it. “ oh, i didn’t ! i contacted my mermaid friends and they summoned their pet dolphins and i hitched a ride. it was very nice. ” she arched a brow at the italian. “ if you think transportation is a main concern for the green initiative, you need to do more reading. ” but giovanni di savoia was busy doing other things. “ but ah... i have to admit, you’ve managed to cause a bit of a stir in the months i’ve been away. i don’t suppose you’d just back down from austria if i asked nicely ? or maybe we could make a bet ? play a round of tennis and if i win, you stop being a bully and... well, i wouldn’t lose. ”